Bilgin Ayata

Prof. Dr. Bilgin Ayata is a full Professor at the University of Graz's Graz School of Interdisciplinary Transnational Studies and Centre for Southeast European Studies, specializing in political sociology. Previously, she served as Assistant Professor for Political Sociology at the University of Basel (2014-2020). She holds a PhD in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University and an MA from York University.

Her research centers on forced migration, border dynamics, affective citizenship, and postcolonial interventions, with regional expertise in Europe (particularly Germany) and the MENA region (focusing on Turkey and Kurdish territories). Key projects include Elastic Borders: Rethinking the Borders of the 21st Century (Nomis Foundation-funded) examining EU border elasticity, and Affective Citizenship (SNSF-funded) analyzing religious recognition in Europe.

• Major Grants: Nomis Foundation (2022), Swiss National Science Foundation (2018-2022), Swiss Network for International Studies (2018-2021)
• Leadership Roles: Co-speaker of 'Migration, borders and mobility in Europe' research cluster; Co-president of Research Association Switzerland-Turkey; Core member of 'Southern Urbanities' Network

Her public engagement includes co-organizing exhibitions like 'Çok Basel - Transnational Memoryscapes' and lecture series such as 'Topographies of Displacement and Resistance', bridging academic research with cultural institutions including Maxim Gorki Theater and Kunstmuseum Basel.